Focus Africa Takeover

Free
Saturday
23rd
of February, from 15:00

Thanks for making 2018 an unforgettable year for us. We promise to make 2019 more vibrant than ever with loads of high profile projects starting with an incredible all day FREE EVENT in partnership with Pop Brixton with the support of our dear friends from Rhythm Passport 3pm - Midnight *Djs: DJ Snuff Djsoulprovyder *Workshop and live: Otto & The Mutapa Calling (Zimbabwe / Botswana) *Live Music: Yaaba Funk (Ghana - Hi-life) Good food in a fantastic environment

************************************************************** *Workshop and live: Otto & The Mutapa Calling (Mbira: Zimbabwe / Botswana) Otto & The Mutapa Calling is a lively London based marimba band playing energetic, joyful music from Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, including folk songs, original songs and popular southern African covers. The band's set-up includes soprano, tenor and baritone marimbas, mbira, hosho, drumming and singing, with both traditional and contemporary dances. The marimba band’s sound is full of energy and pulsating rhythms - and our music shares the rich cultures, histories and stories of the people of southern Africa. Some highlights from our 2018 summer performances include Wandsworth Arts Fringe, All Points East Festival, Heritage Zimbabwe Festival, Make Music UK Day, From The Forest Festival, Art Night London, One Love Festival and Leytonstone Street Festival. Otto & The Mutapa Calling is a unique and colourful experience and is the only active professional marimba band of its kind in all of Europe. www.ottogumaelius.com/band

************************************************** *Live Music: Yaaba Funk (Ghana - Hi-life) Formed in 2006 in Brixton by a group of musician friends drawn together by a love of African music, drums, dance..AFRO....FUNK. Yaaba Funk have been regularly gigging, released their self-produced debut album AFROBEAST in May 2010 with the help of influential British record label Sterns. Yaaba Funk flew to Zanzibar in February 2011 for the Sauti Za Busara Festival, helped by funding from PRS FOR MUSC FOUNDATION. Remixes by DJ D and Richard Olatunde were released by Here and Now recordings in 2010. Their 2nd album, "My Vote Dey Count" was released in 2014 and features guest appearances from Robin Hopcraft and Idris Rahman (Soothsayers/Fela musical band/Jerry Dammers Spatial AKA), Jason Yarde (Tomorrows Warriors/Jerry Dammers Spatial AKA and much more)

******************************************************* DJSOULPROVYDER As a record collector and DJ since 1991 DJ Soulprovyder originally started playing 70s soul jazz funk and rare groove alongside a ten piece funk band called Black 2 Basic. They ran a live music jam session for over ten years called “Spontaneous Construction”. His current sets include a selection of past and present music with a flexibility of joining the dots and crossing over many musical genres, journeying from his disco and afro latin jazz funk roots to a deep electronic tech house sound. Ian has played at many venues across London over the years including Ronnie Scotts, Jazz Café, Koko, Sketch, Momo’s, East Village, Plan-B, Trapeze, POW to name a few as well as big festivals such as the Isle of Wight and V Festival for the award winning Barcardi B-Bar. In 2013 he had the honour of being asked to DJ at the legendary Southport Weekender (SPW) afterparty in the SunCeBeat Dome arena. 2014 had him playing at the second Love Supreme Jazz Festival in the Matua Bar with the Jazz FM DJ’s. He became one of the resident DJ’s at the SUNSPLASH FESTIVAL in Turkey since its inception in 2009 playing alongside artists and djs such as Louie Vega, Kenny Dope, Giles Peterson, Norman Jay, Phil Asher, AtJazz, Shuya Okino, Zara McFarlene, Osunlade, and Karizma.